Charlotte Highways Among State’s Most Deadly: I-85 and I-77 Lead Fatal Crash Rankings

Recent federal crash data shows that the Charlotte region contains most of North Carolina's deadliest road sections. A stretch near Charlotte Douglas International Airport tops the list for crashes that killed drivers and passengers.

The worst section spans I-85 for 10 miles from Little Rock Road past West Sugar Creek Road. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows 23 deaths there between 2019 and 2023. Trucks mix with cars as planes roar overhead.

Next worst? I-77's deadly strip from Wilson Heights toward Huntersville claimed 17 lives. Rush hour traffic jams this route daily as workers push north from the city.

Near Lake Concord and Mt. Hope Church Road, I-85 turned deadly 15 more times. Just down the road, the stretch by Concord-Padgett Regional Airport saw 13 fatal wrecks, making it fifth worst statewide.

I-485's ring road joins the list too. A 10-mile piece starting at the airport and snaking north to Long Creek matched an I-77 section for sixth place. Both spots saw 12 deaths. The I-77 danger zone runs from downtown Charlotte to South Carolina.

Three spots away from Charlotte round out the list. Two parts of I-40 by Raleigh and an I-95 section near Virginia each had 12 crashes where someone died.

To find these hot spots, experts checked every 10-mile stretch that overlapped across state roads. The results paint a grim picture of Charlotte's highways, where local traffic mixes with long-haul trucks and tourists.

The final count shows death clusters on four parts of I-85, two sections each of I-77, I-40 and I-485, plus one stretch of I-95. These make up North Carolina's most treacherous highway segments.